Damper-provided air-passing floor structure



J. MAL, .m WW

DAMPER-PROVIDED AIR-PASSING FLOOR STRUCTURE Film1 March 25; 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet Z4 f 20 J5?) Z2 15 Z7 oct. 21, 1969 v J. MADL, JR 3,473,461

DAMPER-PROVIDED AIR-PASSING FLOOR STRUCTURE Filed March 28, 1968 .'5 Sheets-Sheenad T 47 (/gg 32 39 46 44 Y INVENTOR.

JOSEPH MAD/JR ATTOE/VEY Oct. 2l, 1969 J. MADL, JR 3,473,461

DAMPEH-PROVIDED AIR-PASSING FLOOR STRUCTURE Filed March 28. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3,473,461 DAll/lFElR-PRGVIDED AIR-PASSING FLOOR STRUCTURE .Ioseph Madl, Ir., 990 Volante Drive,

Arcadia, Calif. 91066 Fiied Mar. 28, 1968, Ser. No. 716,873 Int. Cl. F24f 7/00 US. Cl. 98-31 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A floor for passing air flow from the area thereabove to the space therebeneath for removal therefrom, said floor being provided with pivotally mounted dampers that, from a normally downwardly angled air-passing position, are movable, by means adjustably regulatable from above the floor, to retracted positions that restrict air ow, the latter means, if desired, comprising a plurality of individually regulatable mechanisms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION rIhe present invention, while falling into the same general field as the applicants patent, entitled Elevated Floor for Clean Room, issued Ian. 30, 1968, No. 3,366,013, is more particularly adapted for installation in clean work stations, while yet efficient for use as a floor in a clean roo-m. It is an object of the present invention to provide damper means of simplified form and design and also of more compact arrangement to lit more restricted spaces below the oor, thereby enabling lowsilhouette design of work stations.

Another object of the invention is to provide damper means in which the components gravitationally seek and retain their adjusted positions and are movable from such positions only when moved by adjustment from above.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show, and 'die following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises, generally, a floor component or structure 15 provided with air-passing orices 16, damper means 17 carried entirely by said oor structure from the under side thereof, and means 18 for regulating the adjusted position of said means 17.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a floor structure showing one preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the damper means in open position.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof as taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a similar View with the damper means in closed position.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary cross-sectional views as taken on the respective lines 4 4 of FIG. l and 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5, with nite States PatCIlt the damper means adjusted to the position of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a view, similar to FIG. 5, of another preferred embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view as taken on the line 9 9 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 10` is a partly broken and partly vertical sectional view of a work station provided with a oor structure comprising still another preferred embodiment, the plane of section being on the line lil-10 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view as taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7 and 9, the floor component 15 is shown as comprising a horizontal top plate 2i? in which the orifices 16 are provided, and a sub-floor 21 to which the plate 2G is afiXed. Said sub-floor is so formed as to have upper anges 22 that are provided on the upper end of walls 23 that form rectangular spaces 24, and a lower horizontal wall 25 at the lower end of the walls 23 and in which rectangular openings 26 are formed in alternating relation with the spaces 24.

The only portions of the sub-floor 21 that are engaged with the plate 25) are the flanges 23. All other portions of said plate are unobstructed so -air passing through the orifices 16 will enter and pass through the spaces 24, and air entering the space 27 around the rectangles formed by the walls 23 will pass through the rectangular openings 26. It will be clear that such ow of air from above may be shut off, if desired, or regulated by fully or partially closing said spaces 24 and 27 from below. In this case, the same is accomplished by mounting the damper means so the components thereof are movable relative to said horizontal wall to either entirely or partly close the lower openings to the spaces 24 and 27, as desired.

A binding margin piece 28, shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, may be omitted but is preferably used in instances, as shown in FIG. 8, where a non-metallic top surface liner 29 is applied and aiiixed to the plate. Said liner is provided with orifices 3i? in register with the orifices 16. A perimeter wall 31 circumscribes the sub-floor. It will be understood that the described oor structure is of rectangular form and may be supported either by the margin piece 28 or the lip 31a that fits thereinto, 0r by marginal portions of the wall 25 The damper means 17 is shown as comprising plural pairs of damper vanes 32 that are arranged in parallel relation and transversely spaced to be centered on the longitudinal rows of spaces 24 and 27 0f the sub-floor 21. Each vane 32 is provided with an eye 33 along one longitudinal edge and a curved portion 34 adjacent the opposite edge. A trunnion pin 35 is xedly fitted in each end of each said eye, the same extending freely through bearing holes in angle members 36 depending from sides of the sub-floor, so the vanes may gravitationally swing around the respective aligned trunnions. In .practice the eyes 33 of each pair of vanes are placed close to each other so the space between the vanes is as small as is practicable to minimize air flow therethrough. The width of the vanes is such that, with the mentioned centered position of the vanes, the dampers comprising the pairs thereof, when aligned as in FIG. 3, will close of ow from the spaces 24 and 27 due to the flat engagement 'of the free edges of the vanes with the wall 25 of the sub-licor.

It is deemed clear, from inspection of FIG. 2, that the flow past the damper vanes from the spaces 24 and 27 is increased as the vanes, from their ilowclosing position of FIG. 3, are allowed to swing downwardly to the p'osition of FIG. 2, for instance, wherein the respective pairs of vanes have the included angle between them reduced from the 180 angle of FIG. 3 to the 90 angle of FIG. 2.

The means 18 for regulating the adjusted flow-controlling position of the damper vanes 32 is best illustrated in FIGS. through 9. Said means is shown as transverse arms 37 which, in this case, are formed of metal strips 38 between which are sandwiched non-metallic (resin plastic) strips 39. The latter strips are raised above the upper edges of the strips 33 so the portions 34 of the vanes may bear thereagainst, as the vanes swing down on their trunnions 35, thereby reducing friction. A guide 37a for the arms 37 may be provided, as shown.

Said arms 37 are preferably engaged with the portions of the vanes 32 midway between the angles 35. A polygonal socket 40 is formed midway between the ends of the strips 38 which form the arms 37, a nut 4l being fixedly fitted in said socket. Said nut is engaged with a threaded stud 42 that is located, as closely as it can be practically effected, at the exact center in both directions of the floor structure 15, by extending a reduced bearing extension -43 through aligned holes in both the horizontal wall 25 and the plate 2t) or, as in FIG. 8, both the plate 20 and the lever 29. The opposite end of the stud 42 is provided with a pilot stud 44 that extends through a hole in a bracket 45 and which, together with the mentioned aligned holes, holds the stud in vertical operative position. In FIG. 5, thrust bearings d6 and 47, at opposite ends of the stud 42, hold the latter against endwise movement with the upper, socketed end of the extension 43 flush with the top face of the plate 2t). In FIG. 6, without altering the stud 42 and its extension 43, the bearing 46 is placed below the stud, thereby shifting the latter upwardly so the upper end of the extension 43 is flush with the top face of the liner 29.

It will be clear that rotation of the stud 42 will raise or lower the nut 41 according to the direction of said rotation, and will raise or lower the arms 37 to, accordingly, adjust the air-passing position of the damper vanes 32.

The door structure 15a of FIGS. l0 and l1 is shown as installed as the bottom of a clean work station Si) which is provided with an upper section 5l that houses air-moving mechanism for the purpose of forcing air through a lter unit 52 and into a work space 53. The sides and rear of said space are closed. The front is shown with a transparent wall 54 that renders the space visible from in front, so that items in the hands of a person and extended through an opening 55 in the front of the station may be treated or otherwise processed while in the air stream represented by the arrows 56, and cleaned or kept clean during such procedure.

The oor structure 15a passes such air flow as well as any foreign particles or matter entrained in said flow or stream resulting from such procedure. A vent 57 extends from the under side of the Hoor structure 15a. The same may extend upwardly, as shown, or downwardly or laterally, as desired. Such a vent may be subject to suction, if desired.

The vertical movement of the air stream is desired so that all portions of the space 53 are subject to air movement having a minimum of turbulence, thereby to insure as direct a downward movement of impurities, as above mentioned, as it is possible to obtain. Because of the fact that space 53 is open at 55 and because of the differential air pressures between space 53 and the ambient atmosphere, the mentioned vertical curtain of air desired is subject to being disturbed and deleteriously affected.

The present floor structure 15a, while based on the above-described structure 15, embodies the additional feature of providing for regulation of different sections of the oor structure so as to increase or decrease air movement through the orifices of some of the sections to greater or lesser degree relative to the flow through other lll sections. In this way, the turbulences in space 53 may be eliminated, or at least kept to a low degree.

To this end, the floor structure 15a is divided into a plurality of similar sections 60 which combine to form a single floor. The sections 60 may be alike, as shown, or vary or be graduated in size so that regulation may vary in greater or lesser increments. For instance, the sections 60 nearer the opening 55 may be smaller than those farther to the rear, enabling a greater range of variation nearer said opening 55.

In this case, each section has a floor 2t) or 2t), 29 with orifices, as before, and damper means 17 comprising pairs of damper vanes 32, one or more of said pairs of vanes controlling flow through said oor sections, as hereinbefore described. Each section 60, accordingly, is provided with damper-regulating means 18 for independent regulation of the pairs of flow-controlling vanes.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An air-passing floor structure comprising:

(a) a rectangular door component having an orificeprovided top plate,

(b) damper means comprising a plurality of pairs ot freely pivotal damper vanes each mounted by one longitudinal edge on said component below the top plate thereof, said vanes extending longitudinally along one dimension of the top plate,

(c) said vanes gravitationally swinging on their pivots in a direction away from the top plate and clear or' the orifices therein to allow flow of air from above to pass through the orifices and over and beyond the other longitudinal edges of the vanes to the space beneath the floor component, and

(d) adjustable means to engage the latter edges or' the vanes to regulate and thereby control the degree of movement of the vanes.

2. An air-passing floor structure according to claim l in which the floor component is provided with a subfioor upon which the top plate is mounted, said subfloor having spaces receptive of air passing through the orifices and provided with a 'bottom wall parallel to the top wall, said damper vanes being adapted to be moved on their pivots by the adjustable means to engage said bottom wall to close said spaces from beneath, thereby to shut off flow of air through the floor structure.

3. An air-passing floor structure according to claim 2 in which each pair of damper vanes is arranged with the pivotally mounted edges thereof in closely spaced parallelism, the vanes thereby being adapted to freely pivot oppositely as controlled by the adjustable means.

4. An air-passing floor structure according to claim 3 in which the adjustable means comprises oppositely extending horizontal arms beneath the damper vanes and in engagement with the mentioned other longitudinal edges of said vanes to control the movement of the vanes according to the adjusted movement of the arms.

5. An air-passing floor structure according to claim it in which each vane adjacent the last-mentioned edge thereof is provided with a longitudinal curved portion that engages the adjustable arms, the latter being provided with non-metallic portions at the points of such engagement to lessen friction between the vanes and arms.

6. An air-passing floor structure according to claim l in which the top plate is provided with a non-metallic 5 6 surface liner provided with orifices that are in substan- (a) a oor unit having a plurality of independently tial register with the orifices of the top plate. adjustable damper means to regulate the rate of flow 7. An air-passing tloor structure according to claim 1 from the upper space to the lower space to thereby in combination with a work station having an upper vary the ow at dierent portions of said unit, work space and a lower vented space with the oor struc 5 (b) the Work station, at the front thereof, having an ture located between said spaces, said structure comprisopening connecting the mentioned Work space with ing: the ambient atmosphere around the station, and

(a) a plurality of units in modular arrangement, each (c) the mentoned independent regulation of the plurindependently adjustable to regulate the rate of ow ality of damper means being adapted to minimize from the upper space to the lower space to thereby lo turbulence in the ow in said Work space. vary the ilow at different portions of the oor, (b) the work station, at the front thereof, having an References Cited opening connecting the mentioned work space with UNTTED STATES PATENTS the ambient atmosphere around the station, and (c) the mentioned independent regulation of the plur- 15 3252400 5/1966 Madl 98-'33 ality of units being adapted to minimize turbulence 3314353 4/1967 Knab 98-31 in the ow in said work s ace. 8. An air-passing floor struclure according to claim 1 WILLIAM E' WAYNER Pnmary Exammer in combination with a work station having an upper U.S. C1.X.R.

work space and a lower vented space with the oor 20 98-42 structure located between said spaces, said structure comprising: 

